Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt served in the Australian Defence Force for more than 25 years, returning home from each of his 11 deployments with a cricket bat signed by all those he served alongside in Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor.

Sky News host Cory Bernardi said Mr Moffitt is a “living legend” and a truly remarkable man.

The stories of the names etched into the various cricket bats has been told by Mr Moffitt through his memoir titled ‘Eleven Bats’.

Mr Bernardi said the book is “remarkable” and gave an incredible insight into Mr Moffitt and the people her served with, along with the job that was undertaken.

“But also, it gave me a new understanding and appreciation of cricket; what struck me is that it’s the game that can be played anywhere – in a battlefield, in a kitchen, even in a car,” Mr Bernardi said.

Mr Moffitt spoke of the significance of his bat from 2008, with a signature from Signaller Sean McCarthy, who was killed in an “IED ambush” just hours after a game of cricket was played.

Mr Moffitt said the game of cricket “has this way of bringing people together”.

He said the game can be used to lift the mood of soldiers, gain intelligence and build rapport with the locals.

“Ultimately I think it’s a real tonic and a real way to just relax and unwind and concentrate on something else with a bit of banter and humour, which is a great protective thing for mental resilience in those environments”.